yea, and first:

 
.................................
holy sonnet #14
.................................

batter my heart, three-personed god; for you
as yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
that i may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
i, like an usurped town, to another due,
labor to admit you, but o, to no end;
reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
but is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
yet dearly i love you, and would be lov'ed fain,
but am betrothed unto your enemy.
divorce me, untie or break that knot again;
take me to you, imprison me, for i,
except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

.................................
john donne
.................................

 
   yea, and now:

 
.................................

{with violent prayers
i kneel in the church
combat-ready:
"o mary,
o mother
bless your daughter
she is besieged
many men lay claim
to her
tho she meets them like a
soldier
she will fall"
--and yet,
which mary
do i pray to:
the virgin
or the whore?}

.................................
jewel
(a.k.a. julieann marie)
.................................

 
jewel's untitled poem Copyright © jewel
March 1996
John Donne's sonnet is in the public domain

...a poem in this room by Deborah Kilgore...
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